Lost When Alone
by Elfenbla
Summary: A new girl came to Neptune. There has been a murder in a town nearby. Logan and Veronica broke up, but don't really know why. LoVe
1. Strange News

**Disclaimer: I do not own "Veronica Mars". Rob Thomas does.**

**AN: My first attempt to write a fan fiction. I'm from Belgium, so if there's something weird in my writing (and it's not the content), then I blame the fact I don't have to speak or write English most of the time. That would be Dutch I have to use. Anyway, have fun with this chapter and please review, if you like it or not. (A)**

**This story begins where season 1 of "Veronica Mars" ended.**

* * *

Impatiently, Logan waited in front of his house for a taxi to arrive. Since the house was all his and he did not want to invite his friends over all the time, he felt alone most of that time. That's why he had put an ad in the paper offering a room at his house for a fair rent. A few weeks after the ad appeared in the paper, a girl had called to ask if the room was still available. He had said it was and that she could come over any time to see if she wanted to rent it or not. The girl had just asked how much it would cost her and after receiving the answer she had said she would take it and had asked immediately when she could move in. Logan had been a little shocked but had tried not to show it when he said a date. 

That date has come and there was a yellow cab stopping in front of his house. The driver got out and slowly walked to the boot, when one of the doors leading to the backseat swung open. A girl, with dark blond hair, tied up in a ponytail, wearing blue jeans and a black strapless top, appeared. When she stepped out of the car, she looked at the house for a second and then her eyes were focused on Logan.

"Logan Echolls?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah." Logan did not know what to say more. He just shook the hand of the girl instead of saying 'nice to meet you'.

The girl smiled. "My name is Julia Matthews."

When she heard the cab driver closed the boot, she turned around to the man and paid him, before looking back at Logan. "I'm sorry I didn't come to check the place out first. But I really did not feel like staying any longer at my parent's house."

Logan just nodded and then managed to find his voice back. "I'll show you your room."

He picked up one of Julia's suit cases and headed for the room, while Julia picked up her other suit case and followed Logan into the house.

Logan brought her to his parent's bedroom. He couldn't let Julia stay in Trina's bedroom, because his sister sometimes decided she wanted to sleep in her own bed instead of the beds of whatever hotel, wherever in the world.

Of course Logan had taken the personal things of his parents to his own room, where he had put the things in a box and stored it under his bed, out of sight.

"This is the room where you will be sleeping," Logan began to say as his cell phone decided to ring. "I'll show you the bathroom, the kitchen and the living room in a minute."

He walked to his own bedroom before picking up his phone. "Well, well… Hello, sweet Veronica."

* * *

Veronica sighed. She was sitting on the couch, holding her cell phone against her ear. 

"Logan." she said teasing. "Can you pick me up tomorrow on your way to school? My car is at the garage and my dad is out of town."

"I'm no chauffeur, you know. And no bus driver either," Logan answered her trough the phone, sounding a bit annoyed.

"Yes, I know," Veronica tried again. "Please." She hoped Logan still could not say 'no' to her Bambi-like voice, which matched her Bambi-like eyes.

"You sure do know how to get your way. I'll pick you up at eight."

"Thank you so much." Veronica actually meant what she said. She hated going to school by bus and she was glad her ex-boyfriend still wanted to give her a ride to school. Their senior year started the next day. Veronica did not know what her feelings should be about that fact.

She shrugged and dropped her cell phone in her bag on her way to the kitchen to make some hot chocolate before she turned on the TV to watch the news.

* * *

Julia had started unpacking when Logan came back to the room. 

"I can show you the rest of the house now, if you want."

Julia turned around and looked at Logan. "I'd like that, but could I first watch the news please?"

"The news? Uh… Sure…" Logan headed to the living room where he turned on the TV. "Now you know where the living room is. And the TV." He added when he dropped himself on the nearest couch.

Julia sat down in another couch en watched the news very attentive.

* * *

When the news had ended, Veronica turned off the TV and decided to go to bed early. 

One item of the news kept going through her head: in a town not far from Neptune, a man and a woman were murdered. Each of them had a bullet in the head and they were found in one of the containers they used for garbage in one of the dark alleys.

Thinking about that, Veronica laid down on her bed, staring at her ceiling.

* * *

**  
AN: I'm sorry this chapter is rather short. I hope to write some longer chapters in the future. Please review. :)**


	2. Did you know them?

**Disclaimer: I do not own "Veronica Mars". Rob Thomas does.**

**AN: Thanks a lot for the reviews. I really like reading them and it encourages me to keep writing. I had a little trouble writing this chapter. I had some ideas, but I did not know how to write them down. Yes, I know… Chapter two and already I have trouble with the writing. Sue me. P Anyway, I hope you still enjoy this chapter. Review please.**

**Q/A: JazzieAngel wrote: "_… but why couldn't Duncan give Veronica a ride to school?"_**

**You're right about that… I didn't think of it. Thanks for your question. I can use it in my story. Well… Sort of, I guess. P**

* * *

The next morning Logan entered the kitchen and saw a girl sitting at the table, flipping the pages of a paper.

"Good morning," she said.

Logan's sleepy eyes tried to adjust to the light, when he looked at the girl. She was wearing a brown skirt and a light pink blouse. Then he remembered the girl. It was Julia! How could he forget!

"Good morning," he tried to say when he yawned. Then he spotted the paper, while Julia flipped another page. "Which paper is it?"

Julia looked at the front page again. "Yesterday's," she said and went back to the page she was reading.

"Yesterday's?" Logan looked through the window and saw a paper in front of the door. "Today's is on the porch."

"I'll go get it." She folded yesterday's paper and got up to get today's. When she came back she sat back on a chair and started flipping its pages. "Don't you have anything to eat in your house?"

"Food?"

Julia laughed and looked up at Logan. "I guess. What do you eat if it's not food?"

Logan looked around. "I don't know. I don't eat in the mornings. I try to sleep as long as I can, which is not long enough." He ended with a yawn and started for the stairs again.

"Do you know if there's a bus that goes to Neptune High?"

When Logan heard the words 'Neptune High', he quickly turned around. "What time is it?"

"Half past seven," Julia answered, still waiting for her answer.

"O, damn!" Logan ran up the stairs to his room and he put on the first clothes he could find, when his cell phone rang. He was trying to put on his T-shirt, while he picked up the phone. "Hi."

"Logan," it was Veronica's voice. "You…"

"I'm coming," Logan interrupted her. He grabbed his shoes and tried to put them on using one hand.

"You don't have to. Duncan just called. He's driving me to school."

Logan stopped with putting his shoes on and managed to say: "O…"

"He's taking me to his room at Neptune Grand after school."

Logan heard she was smiling. That's what made him angry. "See you at school." He hung up and cursed, throwing his cell phone onto his bed.

* * *

Veronica smiled when she saw Duncan and gave him a kiss on his lips and said "I like your shirt" to say 'hello'.

"Hi," he answered smiling. "How are you?"

"Fine, I guess," Veronica answered. "Senior year," she added with a funny face.

Duncan laughed and got into the car. Veronica followed his example and did the same.

When Duncan looked at her again, he saw a serious face. "What's the serious face for?"

"Did you see the news last night?" Veronica asked after considering if she should say it or not.

"No… I didn't," Duncan answered while he started the car.

"There was something about a man and a woman… Murdered, I think… They each had a bullet in their head."

"I really wanted to hear that," Duncan said sarcastic.

"I'm sorry," Veronica said and turned so she looked through the window in front of her. "I just can't let it go."

"I know you can't," Duncan said before he gave her a kiss on her head. While driving to school, they both didn't speak. Veronica was still thinking about the murder and Duncan let her think about it.

* * *

Logan ran downstairs again, still angry. He couldn't control it. When he jumped over the last step and reached the ground, he sat down trying to calm down.

After a few minutes he looked up again and saw Julia kneeling in front of him. "Are you okay?"

He saw doubt in her eyes. "Yes. I'm fine." He got up and walked to the front door of the house.

Julia followed him. "About that bus…"

"No bus. I'm driving." He grabbed his keys and went outside, holding the door, waiting for Julia to go outside. When she finally did, he locked the door.

* * *

Dick was leaning against his car, waiting for Logan to arrive. When he finally saw Logan's car, he walked towards it.

After parking the car, Logan got out and grabbed his books.

"Logan!" Dick grinned. "You're late! Veronica and Duncan already arrived. The looked like they were having a pretty good time. You should've seen them, they…" Dick stopped talking when he saw Julia, who had gotten out of the car and walked to the back of it. She looked around.

"Wow… Where did you find her?" He looked at Logan.

"I didn't find her," Logan said as he began walking to the table, where Duncan and Veronica sat. "She rents a room at my house."

Julia followed Logan and began walking next to Dick. "Where did they find you?" she asked him.

Dick looked surprised as he turned his head to Julia.

"I think they found you on the street and had to bleach your hair, because it was so dirty, you weren't able to wash it. Am I right?" She smiled at him, teasing.

"No! You're not!" Dick almost shouted. He was shocked, did not know what to say more.

Logan sat down when they had reached the table.

"Hi," Duncan said to Logan, who nodded at him. He watched Julia when she sat down.

"Well… I'm going to find my brother," Dick said when everyone sat.

"Bye Blondie!" Julia said to him as she watched him leave.

Logan chuckled. "He's having the best day of his life."

He was surprised Veronica did not react. She must have heard the sarcasm in his voice, hadn't she?

"What's wrong with her?" Logan asked, pointing at Veronica.

"I'll tell you, if you tell who she is." Duncan pointed at Julia.

"I'm Julia," Julia answered instead of Logan. "I rent a room at Logan's."

"Oh… That's right. He was going to rent a room. You in senior year?"

"Yes. It's probably stupid to change schools when you're in your last year, but I needed to get away from everything."

"Where did you…?" Duncan began a question, but Logan interrupted him.

"You know who she is now. What's wrong with her?" Again he pointed at Veronica.

"She's thinking about a murder. It happened not far from here," Duncan answered.

"Oh… That murder thing? It was on the news last night."

"You watched the news?" Duncan could not believe what he heard.

"Julia wanted to see it, I watched it with her."

"You don't seem to be a girl that wants to watch the news," Duncan said looking at Julia.

Julia took a deep breath. "I… I lived there. Before I came to Neptune."

Veronica seemed to come to live again, because she looked up at Julia. "Did you know the man and the woman?"

Julia was stunned.

"Don't mind that." Logan said to her. "Her dad is a private investigator. En she sometimes thinks she's one too." He grinned sarcastic.

Veronica did the same and then looked back at Julia, still expecting an answer.

Julia took a deep breath again, looked around for a few moments and then looked at Veronica again. "Yes. I did know them. I knew them very well, actually."


	3. Worried headmaster

**Disclaimer: I do not own "Veronica Mars". Rob Thomas does.**

**AN: I had this chapter on my computer quite a long time, but I didn't find a way to finish it. I still don't, that's why I'm not satisfied with this chapter. But hey… It's about time I update… I'm so sorry it took so long… I really hope to update more in the future... Anyway…Thanks again for the reviews. I'm sorry for the cliffhanger. Well… Actually, I'm not. (A) I love writing my chapters ending with cliffhangers. I hate it when I read it, but I think it is fun to write it. Anyway, have fun reading this chapter and please review.**

* * *

Veronica took a breath, ready to ask who the man and the woman were, when the school bell rang.

Julia took a look at a paper she was holding. "Does anyone know where the journalism class is?"

"You signed up for journalism class?" Veronica asked astonished. "I like you already." She chuckled and got up. "I'll take you there. You're in my class."

Julia smiled and followed Veronica, who was heading towards the classroom.

Dick joined Logan and Duncan again when he saw Veronica and Julia leave. "Dude. You've got to throw a party." He stared at the girls.

"A party? Why?" Logan asked while grabbing his books and starting towards his classroom.

"Because there's a new girl in your house. Maybe?" Dick tried to act like he didn't mind.

Logan looked at him with a grin on his face. "Someone is having a crush on another someone."

Dick tried to ignore him. "I just think she's a nice girl and I'd like to get to know her."

"Then why don't YOU throw a party and invite her?" Logan asked, making fun of Dick's interest in Julia.

"I would if I didn't have a dad and a step mom walking around in the house."

Logan laughed and walked into his classroom. "I'll think about it," he shouts to Dick, who needed to be somewhere else.

"Think about what, Logan?" his teacher interrupted. "Why don't you think about the things you have to learn this year?"

Logan rolled his eyes when he sat down and made Duncan chuckle.

* * *

"So, did you have a journalism class at your old school?" Veronica asked while she grabbed an extra chair, so Julia could sit next to her. Then she sat down herself.

"Yeah," Julia answered as she sat down. "Yeah… We had one… My mom was my teacher." She made a sound that sounded like an uncomfortable laugh.

Veronica was about to ask a question about the weird laugh when she was interrupted. Again. Only this time it was by the teacher, instead of the school bell. "Welcome class. My name is Mrs. James. First of all I want to say that there is a new student in our class. Julia Matthews, please raise your hand."

Slowly Julia raised her hand.

The teacher smiled. It looked like there was some sarcasm in it. "You're asked at the principal's office."

"Why?" Julia asked astonished.

"You'd have to go there to find out. And take your books with you."

Julia sighed silently while she took her books. "And where do I find the principal's office?

"Don't you know?" Mrs. James asked.

"You said it yourself: I'm a new student."

The class chuckled while Mrs. James explained where Julia could find the principal's office.

She left the classroom, leaving Veronica with the same question in her head: why?

* * *

Lunch break was coming up and still Veronica hadn't seen Julia again. When the bell rang, she hasted outside and went to the first table she saw a familiar face at.

"Have you seen Julia?"

"Nope," was Logan's answer. "Why?"

"She had to go to our beloved principal," Veronica began sarcastic, but then her tone became serious, "but she still isn't back."

"Weird… Nah… It's probably just some new student-stuff."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Veronica answered while she sat down next to Logan and grabbed one of his fries.

When she took a bite of her frie, someone startled her and she almost choked. When she started to cough, Duncan sat down next to her.

"You alright?"

When the coughing ended, Veronica ate the rest of her frie and looked like nothing happened.

"Ofcourse! You crazy or something?" She smiled teasingly.

* * *

Lunch break ended and there was no sign of Julia.

Veronica turned her head to look at Logan. "You say 'Hi' to Julia, when you see her."

"Sure," he answered and got up to go to his class.

"And ask where she's been!"

"You like someone else's business, right?" Logan yelled at her and smiled teasingly.

"Yes! Just watch out, or I'm coming to your place tonight to haunt you!"

"I'll be waiting for you," Logan winked.

* * *

Logan was making some sandwiches when Julia came into the kitchen and threw her books on the table.

"Hi," she said a little down.

"Hi," Logan looked up. "Where were you the whole day? Everyone missed you and you missed your classes."

"I know. "Mr. Genius", also known as the principal, kept me at his office all day." She sighed.

"Why?" Logan asked and stopped making the sandwiches, to concentrate on Julia's next words.

"He knows I'm from the town with the murders."

"So?" Logan didn't understand it. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"He thinks I need therapy to get over my parents' dead," then she turned around and left the kitchen to go to her bedroom, leaving Logan in the kitchen, shocked.


	4. Strange Girl

**Disclaimer: I do not own "Veronica Mars". Rob Thomas does.**

**AN: Wow… It is a long long time since I updated this story. But now I've got a chapter finished again. It is rather short, but I like it. You see another side of Julia. Hope you have fun reading this chapter and please review. I'll try to update more frequently in the future. (A)**

* * *

Logan didn't know what to do, but decided to go upstairs to Julia's room, where he knocked on the door. 

"Yes," he heard softly through the door.

Slowly Logan opened the door, still shocked by Julia's 'confession' about her parents.

He expected to see Julia crying, or at least very sad, on her bed. But when the door was open, he saw Julia making her homework.

"Your parents?" Logan said, before knowing he did.

"What?" Julia asked. Didn't she know what she had said in the kitchen?

"Your parents were murdered?"

She looked shocked. "What? How do you know that?"

"You said it in the kitchen… When you explained why we didn't see you at school…"

"Did I?" She looked at the wall in front of her and then at the homework that was laying on her desk.

"Wow," she said eventually.

"You know... I expected to see you crying…"

"Crying?" she looked at Logan's face again. "I've cried enough…" She paused for a few minutes. "I came here so nobody would come to me and ask if I'm okay. Here nobody knew me, so they also wouldn't know my parents."

"What are you saying?" Logan still was trying to get over the shock and didn't really understand what Julia was saying.

"I'm kind of asking you not to tell anyone."

"O… okay…" Logan hesitated. "Do you know who killed them?"

"No," she said softly, not looking at Logan.

He hesitated again. "You know… You should tell Veronica… She could help you…"

He paused for a few seconds, but continued when Julia didn't react.

"Her dad is a private investigator. She helps him sometimes and takes her own cases too. She's very good…"

"I… I'll think about it. I mean… When I said I've cried enough, I really meant it. I cried for days and I still want to cry. But I make myself believe I've got no tears anymore... And... I don't know if I'm ready to know who killed my parents."

Logan tried to get a smile on his face.

"I understand, but… Don't wait too long."

He left Julia's room and closed the door behind him.

Julia stared at her homework for a minute, and then ran downstairs. "Marco…!"

"Polo!" she heard Logan shout. He was in the kitchen again.

"You know… Maybe you… Or we… Should throw that party Blondie was talking about."

"Blondie? Oh… You mean Dick." He looked at Julia's face with a strange expression on his. "How do you know he talked about that?"

"I heard you guys… I'm not deaf, you know…"

She was smiling and talking very fast. She was like a kid that could go to the carnival, but had to wait, because her parents weren't ready to leave the house yet. She was very different from the sad, vulnerable girl Logan saw upstairs.

"If you want to…"

He hesitated. "You know… You're a good actress…"

"What?" Julia still smiled. Her face was asking the same thing her voice just did.

"If you didn't say that… The thing about your parents, I would not have noticed you were sad…"

"Oh…" Her smile disappeared again. "It is easier to be someone else when you're sad. I know it doesn't help to get over it, but my dad would not let me be a girl who needed someone to learn things from or to ask things at. And that is why I act like that, I guess... You're the first person who has ever seen me being sad…"

Then the smile reappeared on her face. "But what do you think about the party?"

A strange girl, Logan thought, a strange girl.


End file.
